Mountain Fortress
Bandits, cavalry, civilians and indians fight for survival on a rocky hilltop. Synopsis Riding through rough country, Cheyenne Bodie and Smitty spy smoke signals from the surrounding hills and head for a defensible position on a rocky hill. Once there they run into a group of well-armed travelers led by a man named Bob Manson who claims they were waiting to escape under cover of darkness. Not long after, one of Manson's crew spies a dust cloud in the distance. It's a stagecoach and it's being chased by a troop of Shoshone warriors under the leadership of War Cloud. The entire group mounts and gives chase to try to stop the attack. The stage hits a rough patch of ground, throws the driver and tips over in a swirl of dust. Mason's crew along with Cheyenne and Smitty manage to fight off the Shoshone, and come to the aid of Kiley the driver and his female passenger, Miss Joan Carter. At that moment, Manson reveals his gang's true purpose; they were planning to rob the stage the whole time. They take the strongbox from the stage and Manson orders everyone back to the rocks. Cheyenne rejects Manson's demand that he lead the gang to the Mexican border, so Manson threatens Joan. Giving in, Cheyenne maps out a route and Manson plans a nighttime escape. A new kink in this plan arrives in the form of a patrol from Fort Kermus and Joan's fiancé, Lieutenant Brad Forsythe. Manson plans to ambush them. To save the lives of the soldiers and the lady, Cheyenne makes a deal with Manson to lead him to safety. The soldiers are lured onto the rocky hill and become Manson's prisoners as well. After an escape attempt under cover of darkness fails, the group retreats back to the hill. Shoshone drumbeats begin and continue through the night. In daylight, the drums stop and the indians attack the hill from all sides. The first attack is repulsed, but Cheyenne knows they won't survive another and suggests the group splits in two to give Miss Carter a chance to escape. Manson refuses to let anyone leave, but he is killed by Perado, a member of the gang who doesn't want Joan harmed. The group heads out and it's an all-out race to outrun the Shoshone, while Joan and Kiley head the other way to safety. A bad turn leads Cheyenne and the others into a dead end, and they're forced to run straight into the group of attacking indians. Most of Manson's crew is killed before a troop of cavalry appear in the distance and comes to their rescue. Stew succumbs to a gunshot wound and the last of the Manson gang falls dead. Safe and sound again, Cheyenne declines an invitation to the Carter-Forsythe wedding and heads off with Smitty to the next adventure. Notable Guest Stars Cheyenne Show Elements You know it's a rip-roaring good episode when more of these common elements make up a Cheyenne Show. * Gunfighting/gun play - Yes * Fist fighting - Yes * Chases on horseback - Yes * Indian attack - Yes * Civil War references - Yes * Someone breaks a chair over Cheyenne - No * Clint Walker shirtless - No * Cheyenne kisses a girl - No Real World References * Stew describes a moment when he served sowbelly and beans to General Robert E. Lee outside of Gettysburg. Category:TV Episode Category:Season One